The present invention relates to a support device provided to be arranged onto a base member such as a mattress, a bunk or a bed, and comprising an inflatable portion provided to be in an inflated state in order to lift a person resting upon the inflatable portion, the inflatable portion comprising at least one opening for the supply and evacuation of an inflation medium.
According to prior art, a plurality of such support devices are known, these particularly being arranged to permit the insertion of a bowl or the like below a person resting on the support device in order to permit said person to relieve himself or herself by means of said bowl while being supported by the inflatable portion on which the person may lay or sit. In particular, such devices are provided to be used in the medical service where the persons being treated often have substantial difficulties in moving themselves in order to relieve themselves, and where, accordingly, it is up to the personnel to move and position such patients, which are often bound to their beds, in order to make them able to relieve themselves in a bowl, a so called basin, which in turn is positioned on the bed. Prior support devices, such as for instance the one disclosed in FR 2 656 795 or FR 2 168 759, comprises a recess in the inflatable portion, into which the recess the bowl, that is the basin, may be brought into a position below a person resting on the inflatable portion and lifted by the latter as it is in its inflated state. Thereby, an important advantage is obtained, as the personnel is relieved from heavy lift operations that would otherwise be necessary in order to position persons or patients correctly on the basin. Moreover, the inflatable portion gives a comfortable support to the patient as the latter is laying or sitting on the basin and is to relieve himself or herself. This aspect is also important in order to provide for the physical and psychological health of the patient.
When the inflatable portion is in its evacuated state, it is requested that the support device is positioned as plane and flat as possible along the surface of the base member, in order to avoid the person or the patient from experiencing any discomfort due to the presence of the support device. Support devices according to prior art take this into consideration by being formed by relatively thin layers of a material that enables them to better follow the outer shape presented by the base member as the patient takes different positions thereon. This is for instance disclosed in the documents WO 91/07938, U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,232 and the above French documents.
However, prior art does not take into consideration the substantial unevenness caused by the inlet and outlet openings respectively and valves possibly arranged at said openings. Accordingly, by support devices according to prior art, there are inlet and outlet openings with their possible valves arranged on the inflatable portion in such a way that they are present on the base member upon which the patient or person in question is resting. Thereby, the patient may lay upon these unevennesses, which might me found uncomfortable by patients in general and which might be harmful to patients that are disabled or have tendencies towards bedsores.